Russell D. Fernald

Honors and Awards

• Elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2011)
• Rank Prize in Vision/Opto-electronics, Rank Foundation (February 2004)
• Fellow-American Association for Advancement of Science, AAAS (2003)
• Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (1999-2006)
• NIH Fogarty Senior International Fellowship, NIH (1985-86)

Professional Education

Postdoctoral Advisees

Rosa Alcazar,  Russ Carpenter,  Scott Juntti,  Karen Maruska

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Neurosciences

Internet Links

• Lab Website

Current Research Interests

How does social experience influence the brain?
Our research is focused on understanding the mechanisms through which social change is transduced into cellular and molecular change.

How is retinal progenitor cell division and differentiation controlled?
The eyes of teleost fish continue to grow throughout life, and new cells are continually added to the functional retina. We are using this model system to determine what extrinsic and intrinsic signals influence the fate of retinal progenitors, particularly rod progenitors.

Publications

• Characterization of cell proliferation throughout the brain of the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni and its regulation by social status. Maruska KP, Carpenter RE, Fernald RD. J Comp Neurol. 2012
• Contextual chemosensory urine signaling in an African cichlid fish. Maruska KP, Fernald RD. J Exp Biol. 2012; 215 (Pt 1): 68-74
• Social Control of the Brain. Fernald RD, Annu Rev Neurosci. 2012
• Subordinate male cichlids retain reproductive competence during social suppression. Kustan JM, Maruska KP, Fernald RD. Proc Biol Sci. 2012; 279 (1728): 434-43
• Acute light exposure suppresses circadian rhythms in clock gene expression. Grone BP, Chang D, Bourgin P, Cao V, Fernald RD, Heller HC, Ruby NF. J Biol Rhythms. 2011; 26 (1): 78-81